The U.S. Pat. No. 6,908,390 describes a gaming environment configured to allow a “gaming tournament” (or tournament) to be conducted by a person acting as a host for a tournament between a number of individuals and/or one or more groups of individuals (or players). By way of example, each player can use (or interface with) a computing system (e.g., via gaming unit or machine located on a casino floor) to effectively listen and/or see a person acting as the host of the gaming tournament. The host can also interface with a computing system (e.g., via a server or host computer) to input audio, visual, or text. The input received from the host can be provided to the players in a “live” manner as they engage in the tournament. The host can, for example, provide live commentary and additional rewards or incentives for the players as they play the tournament. By way of example, each player can use a gaming machine (or unit) located on a casino floor to sign up (or enroll) as an individual or sign up a number of individuals as a group for participatation in a gaming tournament. Players or groups of players can compete by playing one or more games that can be individually played on a gaming machine (e.g., slots, video poker, video blackjack). As the players compete in the tournament, they can see an image of the host and hear the voice of the host, for example, via video and audio output (e.g., displays, speakers) configured for the gaming machines on the casino floor. In this situation, the host can interact with the players both visually and aurally to effectively conduct the tournament as a real host would in a real live gaming environment such as when a number of players and a host gather at the same location and compete in a game or tournament conducted by a person acting as the host.